Vending machine



March 7, 1933. l. w. PENNY 1,900,074

VENDING MACHINE Filed March 2, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet '1 314042114301 IRA WPENN Y March 7, 1933. WIPENNY 1,900,074

VENDING MACHINE Filed March 2, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 m 14 I 111 lnlllrllIII-lllil |||.||||I 1933. l. w. PENNY VENDING MACHINE March 7 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 2, 1931 NN m Patented Mar. 7, 1933 UN D-STATEIRA PENN Y, OF

PHOENIX, ARIZONA vnivniive MACHINE Y Application filed March.2,

This invention relates to a novel device for vending articles ofmerchandise in packages, such as cigarettes, candy, handkerchiefs, etc.,and more particularly to a coin controlled vending machine of thischaracter.

One of the primary objects of my invention, is to provide a coincontrolled vending machine in which a plurality of different kinds orbrands of articles can be readily dispensed therefrom, the deviceembodying a master operating .bar operable upon the depositing of a coinof a certain value and cooperating with means for releasing the desiredvarticle to be dispensed upon the depositing of a second required coin inthe appro priate coin slot for the selected article. 7

Another important object of my invention is the provision of novel meansfor automatically closing the coin slot for the packaged goods notselected by the operator of the machine, so that errors in the actuationof the machine will be limited. I i

A further, salient object of my invention the. provision ofnovel meansfor releasing drawer pulls for the seleotedarticle to 'be purchased,upon the depositing ofthe proper coin in front of the display chute ofthe ar-. tiole, said coin being deposited in conjunction with theinitial required coinfor permitting the actuation of the masteroperating slide.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an improved coincontrolledvending machine of the above character, which will be'durableand eiiicientin use, one that will be simple and easy to manufacture,and one which can be placed upon the market at a reasonable cost. 1'With these and other objects in view, the

invention consists the'no vel construction,

arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter morespecifically described, claimed, and illustrated. in theaccompanyingdrawings,in wl'rlich-drawings Figure 1 is atop plan'viewof my improvedcoin. controlled: vending machine Figure 2 is front elevation of'thesame. i Figure t; is a longitudinal section through my improved vending'machine illustrating the operating parts thereof taken'on the line1931. Serial No. 519,580.

3-3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows. I

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section similar to Figure 3 showing the masterslide barbeing actuated; Y

Figure 5 is an end elevation of my im; proved vending machine showingparts thereof broken away and in section.

Figure 6 is a' fragmentary horizontal sectional view illustrating themeans employed so for locking the coin entrance slots not being theoperator of the machine to avoid used by accident. I

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal'sectional view throughthe improved machine, showing the operating parts thereof prior to beingactuated.

Figure 8'is a fragmentary sectional V ew similar to Figure 7 showingthe" device being operated, and

Figure 9is a vertical section taken on the line 99 of Figure 7 lookinginthe direction of'the arrows.

Referring to the'drawings in detail, wherein s-imilarreferencecharacters designate corresponding" parts throughout the several views,the letterA generally indicates my improved vending machine, the casingor ho-usingo'f'wh'ich'can be ornamented iniany desired orpreferredway'to render the same attractive to the trade. r I j I The improvedvending machine comprises a base 10 having connected therewith in anydesired way an upright vertically extending casing 11, divided in anypreferred way into a plurality of chutes 12, for receiving the stacks ofmerchandise 13 to be vended, which in thepresent instance can beconsidered as cigarettes. Each of the different chutes 12 is adapted toreceive a different brand of cigarettes, all of which can be of thesamevalue. I

' I prefer to divide the front wall ofthe casingll into a suitabledisplay space, whereby different cards ofadverti sing matter can beplacedl Likewise the instruction for-oper-v ating'the machine can alsobe placed onthis front-wall. Thefront wall, directl-yat the loweren'dofeach chute 12, is provided'with a hinged door '14 througlrwhich thepackages I of cigarettes are dispensed, and a slide plate is mountedbelow each chute and carries a dispensing plunger or the like forengaging the lowermost package of cigarettes. Rigidly secured with theslide plate 15 is a flat pull rod 16, having its forward end turnedupwardly as at 17 to provide a pull handle.

From the construction so far, it is to be noted that I provide a slideplate and ejecting plunger for each of the chutes employed for receivingthe cigarettes and a guide housing or casing 18 can be connected witheach of the chutes for receiving the said ejecting plunger as clearlyshown in Figures 1 and 8 of the drawings. In accordance with myinvention each of the pull rods 16 is provided with a keeper notch 19into which normally fits a pivoted keeper pawl 20 of a substantiallybell crank shape. The bell crank keeper pawls 20 are pivoted at theirangles as at 21 and are normally urged into locking engagement with thepull bars 16 by means of leaf springs 22. The opposite ends of thelocking pawls from .the ends which normally engage into the keeperrecesses can be provided with circular heads 23 fitted in operatingnotches 24 formed in slide bars 25. There is a slide bar 25 for each ofthe various chutes and these slide bars project forwardly into the baseend beyond the chute. By referring to Figure 5 of the drawings, it canbe seeen that the base 10 extends beyond the chute and carries the coincontrolled mechanism.

My improved coin controlled mechanism comprises a master operating slidebar 30, which is mounted in the base 10 for sliding movementlongitudinally thereof. This master operating slide bar extends belowand in front of all of the various chutes and one end of the same isprovided with an operating handle 31. A cover plate 32 is rigidlyconnected with the base and normally hides the master operating bar 30and the other actuating parts from view. Directly in front of eachoperating handle 17 for the actuating bars 16 is placed a coin entranceslot 32, all of which in the present instance receive a coin of likedenomination. At the extreme end of the base adjacent to the masteroperating handle 31, the cover plate 32 is provided with a coin entranceslot 34, which in the present instance is of a size to receive a fivecent piece, the other coin entrance slot 33 being of a size to receive aten cent piece. I

The master operating slide bar 30 is provided at its front end and atspaced intermediate portions with coin carrying finger 35, and each ofthe fingers is located at one side of a coin entrance slot 34 or 33, sothat when a coin is inserted in the said slot they will be en gaged bythe coin fingers.

As clearly shown, in Figure 7 of the drawings, an expansion coil spring36 is employed,

2 for normally urging the master slide bar 30 toward one end of thevending machine, so that upon the release of the handle 31 by theoperator, the same will be returned to its normal coin receivingposition. Likewise the pull bars 16 for the cigarette ejecting plungersare all returned to their normal position by suitable resilient means,and as shown, each pull or ejecting plate 16 has con nected therewith adepending bracket 37 slidabl'y mounted on a guide rod 38, around whichis coiled an expansion spring 39. Thus upon forward movement of any ofthe ejecting or pull plates or bars 16, the spring 39 will be compressedand upon release of the operating handle 17 the same will be returned toits normal position.

Referring to the operating mechanism, I mount in the base 10 a doubleended lever 40 adjacent to one end of the base and the same is rockablymounted intermediate its ends upon a suitable pivot pin 41. The forwardend of thelever-has pivotally connected thereto as at 42 an operatingbar 43 having its front free end projecting toward the master operatingslide bar 30. One front corner of the bar 43 is cut away as at 44, for apurpose which will'be later described. It is to be noted, however, thatthe forward end of this bar 43 is arranged in the path of five centcoins inserted in the entrance slot 34, and that when the masteroperating slide bar 30 is pushed rearwardly that the five cent coinswill push in on said bar to rock the lever 40. The inner end of thelever 40 is provided with an inclined face 45 which normally abuts asimilarly inclined face 46 formed on a slide lock bar 47. This lock barextends longitudinally ,of the base in spaced parallel relation to themaster operating slide bar 30. The inner edge of the lock slide bar 47is provided with a plurality of equidistantly spaced notches 48, for thereception of the inner ends of the transverse slide bars 25, heretoforereferred to. i

' It, is to be noted at this point, that normally the inner ends of theslide bars 25 engage the inner edge of the lock bar 47 but" that whenthe slide bar 47 is slid longitudinally that the notches 48 therein willalign with the inner ends of the transverse slide bars 25. The forwardends of these transverse slide bars 25 extend toward'the masteroperating slide bar 30 and are arranged in the path of the ten centcolns carried by said master operating slide bar 30. The forward cornersof the transverse slide bars 25 are cut away as at 49. I

The master operating slide bar30 is mounted upon a suitable supportingbase plate 50,

which base plate 50 is formed from magnetized material and. forms apermanent magi net. The upper face'of the magnet bar 50 is provided atspaced points with notches 51 in which are slidably mount-ed lock'lugs52 and a lock lug 52 is arranged directly in advance of each coinentrance slot 34 and 33, fora purpose which will be later set forth.The, lower faces'of the coin lock lugs 52 are preferably insulated fromthe lower face of the magnet bar 50, so that the coin lock lugs can beattracted upwardly at certain times.

In operation of my improved vending machine, the operator places a fivecent piece within the coin entrance slot 34 and a ten cent piece in anyone of the coin entrance.

slots 33, depending upon the brand of cigarettes desired. After theinsertion of the two coins the hand1e-31 is graspedby the operator andthe master operating bar is slid rearwardly. Thefive cent coin willfirst engage the bar {l3 forcing the same inwardly which will swing thelever on its pivot 41 moving the inclined face thereof into engagementwith the inclined face 46 of the slide bar l7. This will slide the bar-17 to the right (Figure '7 of the drawings) and register the notches 48with the bars 25. Upon further inward movement of the master operatingslide bar 30, the tencent-eoin carried thereby will engage the desiredtransverse slide bar 25 forcing the same rearwardly and into the notch48. The move-j ment of this transverse slide "bar 25 will rock thekeeper pawl 20 moving the same from out of engagement with the-keepernotch 19 of the ejecting or pull bar 16 and upon a forward pull onthe-handle 17 by the operator, a package of cigarettes will be movedfromIunder the chute into the hand of the operator. Upon continuedmovement of the master operating lever slide bar 30, the coins are movedover outlet slots 53 formed in the magnet bar and the coins drop into asuitable drawer 54 provided for the purpose of receiving the said coins.

LThe leaf spring 22 engaging the latch pawls 20 move back toward thepull or eject ing plates 16 and thus slide the actuated transverse slidebar 25 to its normal position moving the same out of engagement with itsnotch 48 in the longitudinal slide bar 47. This slide bar 47- isreturned to its normal position by means of a spring55, as clearly shownin Figure 7 of the drawings. The master operating slide bar 30 isreturned to its normal position by means of the spring 36 and the slideplate 16 is returned to its normal position by means of its spring 39.All of the parts now assume their normal position and the machine canagain be actuated by depositing of the proper coins. V

Should a steel or iron slug be inserted in the coinchutes in lieu of anickel or other. proper coin, the same will rest upon the mag-v net bar50 and become magnetized thereby and as the coin rides over the magnetbar and over the coin lock lugs 52, the coin lock lugs 52 will be raisedthereby and will PFQ? vent further sliding movement of. the masteroperating bar, as clearly shown in of the drawings.

I have also provided novel means. for preventing the insertion of tencent pieces in more than one coin entrance slot 33 at a time, so thatonly one package. of cigarettes can be delivered at a time, and thismeans also prevents errors on the part of the operator of the machine.This means embodies a double ended pivoted lever-' arranged adjacent toone end of the casing, a pivoted double ended lever 61 arrangedintermediate the ends of the casing and a double ended piv- Figure 4oted lever 62 arranged adjacent to the other end of the casing. Thelever 60.is rockably mounted intermediate its ends on a suitable pivotpin 63 below the first transverse slide bar 25, the intermediate doubleended lever 61 is. rockably mounted on a pivot pin 64 below the secondtransverse slide bar 25, while the third lever 62 is rockably mounted ona pivot pin 65 below the third transverse slide bar 25. One end of thedouble ended lever 60 is-prov-ided witha hooked terminal 66 having adownwardly inclined end normally aligned over the master slide bar 30and directly beneath the first ten cent eXit coin slot 33 at the lefthand end of the vending machine, referring to Figures 6, 7 and. 8. Theother end of the lever 60 is provided with a laterally extending detentarm 67, which is adapted to be moved under the second ten cent coinentrance slot 33 under certain conditions, as will be-later set forth.One end of theintermediate lever 61 is provided with a hooked terminal68 which extends under the second coin entrance slot 33, while theopposite endsare provided with the-laterally extending arm 69, which is.adapted to be moved under the third ten cent entrance slot, undercertain. conditions. The lever 62 at one end is provided with a hookedend 70 which extends under the third coin entrance slot and the otherend of the lever is provided with a laterally projecting arm 71*, whichextendsunder the fourth ten cent coin entrance slot. l r

The levers 60 and 61 are operatively connected together through themedium of a swinging link 71, the ends of which engages the recesses 72formed in the adjacent ends of said lever 60 and 61. The levers 6]. and62 .are likewise operatively connected together of the-hooked end'66,which will rock the li? lever 60on'its pivot, causing the lateralarm 67thereof to ride under the second. coin entrance slot.. The movement ofthis lever will be transmitted tothe levers 61 and 62 through 7 themedium of the swinging links 71 and 73 and thus the lateral arms 69 and71 of the levers 61 and 62 will be moved under the entrance slot of thethird and fourth chutes. Thus immediately upon the depositing of thefirst ten cent piece the other ten cent coin entrance slots will beclosed preventing the insertion of ten cent pieces therein.

If a ten cent piece is inserted in the second coin entrance slot thecoin will engage the inclined faces of the laterally extending arm 67and the hooked arm 68, which will cause the rocking of the levers 60 and61. T his will move the hooked end 66 further under the first coinentrance chute and will prevent the depositing ofa coin therein and thelateral arm 69 of the lever 61 will be moved under the third coinentrance slot to prevent the entrance of a coin therein.

The movement of the lever 61 will be transmitted to the lever 62 and thelateral arm 71 will be moved under the fourth coin entrance slot andthus prevent the entrance of a coin therein.

Should a ten cent piece be inserted in the third coin chute from theleft, referring to Figures 6, 7, and 8, the coin will engage the lateralarm 69 of the lever 61 and the hooked end 70 of the lever 62. This willrock the lever 62 forcing the lateral arm 71 thereof under the fourthcoin chute. The pressure of the coin on the inclined face of the lateralarm 69 will rock the lever 61 on its pivot moving the hooked end 68under the second coin entrance slot 33 and the turning movement of thelink 71 will. rock the lever 60, movingthe hooked end 66 under the firstcoin slot.

If a coin is inserted in the fourth coin slot, the coin will engage theinclined face of the lateral arm 71 rocking the lever 62 on its pivot,which will move the arm 70 further under the coin entrance slot 33, andat the same time rock the link 73, which will in turn rock the levers 60and 61 through the con nection of the link 71. The movement of the lever61 will throw this hooked end 68 under the second coin entrance slot andthe move ment of the lever 60 will move its arm 66 further under thefirst coin entrance slot.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that I have provided anexceptionally simple and durable coin controlled machine for vending anumber of different brands of cigarettes or other articles which can bereadily selected by the purchaser.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or thescope of this invention, but:

What 1 claim as new is:

1. A coin controlled vending machine com prising a plurality ofvertically disposed dispensing chutes, an ejecting plunger horizontallyslidable for movement under each chute,

' means independently locking each plunger against movement, a masteroperating slide bar, a master lock bar, means for operating the masterlock bar from the master operating slide bar upon the depositing of theproper coin for engagement with said master operating slide bar topermit the release of the locks for the ejecting plungers, and meanscarried by said operating slide bar for engaging a second coin depositedfor engagement with the master operating slide bar for releasing thelock of the desired ejecting plunger.

2. A coin controlled vending machine comprising a plurality ofvertically disposed dispensing chutes, an ejecting plunger horizontallyslidable for movement under each chute, means independently locking eachplunger against movement, a master operating slide bar, a master lockbar, means for operating the master lock bar from the master operatingslide bar upon the depositing of the proper coin for engagement withsaid master operating slide bar'to permit the release of'lthe locks forthe ejecting plungers, means carried by said operatingslide bar forengaging a second coin deposited for engagement with the masteroperating bar for releasing the lock of the desired ejecting plunger,and means for preventing the operating of the master operating slide bar"upon the depositing of a magnetic slug in engagement with said masteroperating slide bar.

3. A coin controlled vending machine comprising a plurality ofvertically. disposed vending chutes, an ejecting plunger for each chuteslidable in a horizontal plane below its chute, a master operating slidebar mounted in front of the vending chute and having coin engagingmeans, a coin entrance slot for each vendin g chute arranged above themaster operating slide bar, an independent lockfor each ejecting plungerincluding a transverse slide bar for each plunger, and a oletent foreach ejecting plunger actuated by its respective transverse slide bar, alongitudinally disposed slidable lock bar for all of thetransverse slidebars, said longitudinally disposed slidable lock bar havingnotchestherein, the vending machine also having a main entrance coin slot abovethe master operating bar, means for operating the longitudinal lock barincluding a link disposed in the path of a coin inserted through themain coin entrance slot, whereby upon movement of the master slide barthe link will be actuated and the longitudinal lock bar will be moved toalign the notches therein with the transverse slide bars, the forwardends of the transverse slide bars being arranged in the path of a coininserted in the coin entrance slot for the vending chute when moved bythe master slide bar.

1. A. coin controlled vending machine comprising aplurality ofvertically disposed of the transverse slide bars, said longitudinal- 1ydisposed slidable lock bar having notches therein, the vending machinealso having a main entrance coin slot above the master operating bar,means for operating the longitudinal lock bar including a link disposedin the path of a coin inserted through the main coin entrance slot,whereby upon movement of the master slide bar, the link will be actuatedand the longitudinal lock bar will be moved to align the notches thereinwith the transverse slide bars, the forward ends of the transverse slidebars being arranged in the path of a coin inserted in the coin entranceslot for the vending machine when moved by the master slide bar, andmeans for closing the coin entrance slots of the other vending chutesupon the depositing of a coin in one of the coin entrance slots for thevending chutes.

5. A coin controlled vending machine comprising a plurality ofvertically disposed vending chutes, an ejecting plunger for each chuteslidable in a horizontal plane below its chute, a master operating slidebar mounted in front of the vending chute, a coin entrance slot for eachvendlng ch'ute arranged above the master operating slide bar, anindependent lock for each ejecting plunger including a transverse slidebar for each plunger, a detent for each ejecting spective transverseslide bar, a longitudinally disposed slidable lock bar for all of thetransverse slide bars, said longitudinally disposed slidable lock barhaving notches therein, the vending machine also having a main entrancecoin slot above the master operating bar,

means for operating the longitudinal lock bar including a link disposedin the path of a coin inserted through the main coin entrance slotwhereby upon movement of the master slide bar, the link will be actuatedandv the longitudinal lock bar will be moved to align the notchestherein with the transverse slide bars, the forward ends of thetransverse slide bars being arranged in the path of a coin inserted inthe coin entrance slot for the vending machine when moved by the masterslide bar, means for closing the coin entrance slots of the othervending chutes upon the depositing of a coin in one of the coin entranceslots for the vending chutes, said means including a plurality of doubleended levers rockably mounted intermediate their ends, means operativelyconnecting the adjacent plunger actuated by its reends of the leverstogether including rocking links, the opposite ends of the levers beingdisposed under the coin entrance slots for the vending chutes, as andfor the purpose specified.

6. A coin controlled vending machine comprising a plurality ofdispensing chutes, an ejecting plunger for movement through each chute,means independently locking each plunger against movement, a masteroperating means, a master locking means, means for operating the masterlocking means from said master operating means through the placing of acoin between said master locking and master operating means, and meanscarried by said operating means for engaging a second coin for causingthe second coin to engage a selected independent plunger locking meansfor releasing the locking means of the desired ejecting plunger.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

IRA W. PENNY.

